Knicks rally in overtime to take Game 1 of Eastern Conference finals

Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-104 in overtime on Tuesday, erasing a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals at Madison Square Garden. New York trailed 93-71 with 7:52 left in regulation before closing on a 30-8 run to force overtime and a 44-11 run through the end of the game. The win gave the Knicks a 1-0 series lead and extended a playoff surge that had already included seven straight victories entering the opener. NBA.com said Game 2 is set for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. ### How big was the comeback? The Knicks were down 22 points in the fourth quarter before Brunson led the rally. NBA.com’s game recap said New York was trailing 93-71 with 7:52 to play, then outscored Cleveland 44-11 over the final 12:45 of regulation and overtime. NBA.com’s live recap called it a 22-point comeback and said the Knicks used a 30-8 run to get the game to overtime. (nba.com) The same recap said Cleveland shot 22% the rest of the way after building that lead. ### What did Brunson do in the fourth quarter? Brunson had 38 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals, according to NBA.com’s live recap. (nba.com) NBA.com’s takeaways piece said 17 of those points came in the fourth quarter and overtime, while the social briefing for this story cited 15 fourth-quarter points on 7-for-9 shooting during the 30-8 run that forced overtime. (nba.com) Brunson told NBA.com after the game, “Find a way. We got some stops, kept fighting, kept believing. We just kept chipping away.” In the Associated Press recap carried on NBA.com, he also said the message was: “Just keep fighting. Keep chipping away. We’re not going to get it back in one possession.” (nba.com) ### Where did Cleveland lose control? Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points for Cleveland, and Evan Mobley added 15 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks, NBA.com said. But NBA.com’s live recap said Mitchell’s last basket came with 8:19 left in the fourth quarter, just before the Knicks’ push took hold. John Schuhmann of NBA.com wrote that Brunson repeatedly attacked switches involving James Harden during the comeback. (nba.com) The takeaways piece said Brunson targeted Harden in pick-and-roll actions after Cleveland had controlled most of the first 40 minutes. ### Who else mattered for New York? Mikal Bridges scored 18 points, and three Knicks finished with 13 points, including OG Anunoby, according to the Associated Press recap on NBA.com. (nba.com) Landry Shamet hit a 3-pointer in overtime that pushed the Knicks ahead 110-101 with 1:49 remaining, NBA.com’s live blog said. Anunoby returned after missing two games with a strained right hamstring, the AP recap said. (nba.com) NBA.com’s game page listed Madison Square Garden as the site of the opener, where the Knicks protected home court after giving it away for most of the night. ### What does the series schedule look like now? NBA.com’s game page said the Knicks lead the series 1-0 and listed Game 2 for Thursday, May 21, at 8 p.m. (nba.com) ET. The same page listed Game 3 for Saturday, May 23, and Game 4 for Monday, May 25. The Knicks entered the series at 53-29, according to ESPN’s team page and the source briefing. (nba.com) Cleveland entered after a 52-30 regular season, according to ESPN’s team page. Game 2 will return to Madison Square Garden before the series shifts to Cleveland. (espn.com)